


The One Who Was a Child

by Neferit



Series: The One [6]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Community: dragonage_kink, Gen, Rose of Orlais, agree to disagree, kink meme inspired, not really friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-23
Updated: 2013-04-23
Packaged: 2017-12-09 07:57:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/771871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neferit/pseuds/Neferit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To tell the truth, to say she and Thea didn't see eye to eye very often would be an understatement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Who Was a Child

 

To tell the truth that she and Thea didn't see eye to eye very often would be an understatement. And Wynne prided herself for calling things by their proper name, no matter how she felt about them.

So, more often than not they agreed to disagree.

Wynne couldn't stop herself from trying to teach Thea the ways of the world, the ways how she should view herself as a Grey Warden. The first time she tried that, Thea politely listened, and offered just a little bit of personal info about herself. She was of house Cousland, daughter of teyrn Bryce Cousland, and currently the only known living member of the house. She didn't join the Wardens just for the fun of it - she was forced into joining by promise made by her father, and only the family motto, instilled in to her ever since she could understand it, "Duty first" forced her to carry that promise instead of running off on Duncan of the Grey Wardens as soon as she could .

And she didn't like being Grey Warden, not one bit.

She missed the authority of her status which would allow her to intervene into t he ongoing civil war with the weight of her name and respect she would command like that. Like _this_ , she could only hack her way through hordes of enemies and be dirty most of the time. Being dirty. She hated being dirty, as Wynne noted, when she had to cure her from several serious cases of cold after Thea washed herself in absolutely freezing water.

"Just because I'm cold doesn't mean I have to be dirty as well," she argued. Wynne disapproved strongly, even if she understood that state of cleanliness was Thea's only comfort at times.

Wynne knew it was not appreciated when she lectured but she never could stop herself. How she should act and feel as a Grey Warden. How she should solve things. How she shouldn't hurt Alistair or Zevran. That was one of the moments where she really could see she far overstepped her bounds; Thea's eyes flashing dangerously, as she obviously forced herself to take few calming breaths before she spoke.

"Stop sticking your nose where it does not belong, Wynne, as your meddling is neither needed, nor appreciated," she hissed in the end, stomping to the other side of the camp to talk with Leliana , leaving her to gape after her. It wasn't like Thea, the always polite and calm young woman. This was a spitfire hidden under the façade of peacefulness.

She wouldn't speak to her for a week, asking Morrigan to do most of the cold curing during that time instead, much to the amusement of the apostate mage.

It was quite surprising how Thea went along with nearly anyone _but_ her.

With Leliana she would discuss fashion and gaze dreamily at the satin shoes she bought for the bard, laughing about ladies in Orlais trying to out-fashion each other.

With Sten, she would spar and care for her weapons and armour, mostly enjoying the quiet or asking him questions here and there about Qunari.

With Morrigan, she would most likely discuss things she prefered not to really know - who knows what lurked in the mind of an apostate, born and bred?

With Zevran, she would flirt, laugh and speak in the language of his country, both of them having wistful undertones in their voices, the somber moments ended with Zevran making eyes at the woman and both of them sharing a laugh at that.

With Alistair, she would get serious most of the time, yet her face breaking into radiant smile more often than usual when she spoke to him.

With Shale and Leliana they would pick the shiniest of stones and place them on the golem to see which ones made her look her best, creating many variants of the placement of those stones to achieve combination which would be most useful as well as nicest on the golem.

With Oghren she obviously shared a deep bond no one else had been able to create, the dwarf often bowing only to her will, uncaring about what others might think about him.

With her mabari, Lord, she would play fetch and chase around the camp.

But when it came to her, she was mosty indifferent. Not uncaring, mind you, but she certainly didn't seek her company even after she excused for presuming. Yet it was the very same Thea who didn't care much about opinion of an old biddy who gave her closure when it came to her very first apprentice she was supposed to tutor.

She still did things Wynne didn't quite agree afterwards but it didn't irk her so much anymore.

It was strange how little one obviously could know a person - given how direct Thea was, part of Wynne expected she would elect to rule as a Queen with Alistair. It truly came as a surprise when she proclaimed for the whole Landsmeet to hear that the new rulers of Ferelden will be Alistair as the King, and Anora as his Queen. She didn't think Anora was the right one for Alistair - but seeing the puppy eyes he was giving the woman, and the soft smiles directed back at him, she was forced to re-evaluate that thought.

It felt as a heavy blow when they were standing on top of Fort Drakon, enveloped in white light when the old magic surrounding the Archdemon exploded, defeating the Blight and killing the Warden, killing Thea Cousland.

Thea, who was like a stubborn child Wynne couldn't help but miss, as she read through the _Rose of Orlais_ for at least hundredth time. There was a short writing on the first blank page, the letters elegant and light, just like the person who wrote them.

_To Wynne, who should stick her nose back in the book it belongs. Oh, and I think that I do like you. A bit._

_\- Thea_

"As do I, child," she said to the empty room, "as do I."


End file.
